Valve-operating mechanism.



No. 828,547. PATENTED AUG. 14, 1906.

- G. w. HAYDEN. VALVE OPERATING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED APR.9.1904.

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No. 828,547. PAAITENTED AUG.14, 1906. e. w. HAYDEN.

VALVE OPERATING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED APR.9.1904.

3 SHEETSSHEET Z.

PATENTED AUG. 14, 1906.

G. W. HAYDEN. VALVE OPERATING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED APR.9.1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 8.

wbzzzesaea I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE W. HAYDEN, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO CRANE COMPANY, orCHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A "CORPORATION or ILLINOIS;

vALvE-oPEFiA'riNe MEOHANISNI.

Specification of Letters latent. Application filed April 9, 1904. SerialNo- 202,465.

. I'atented Au 14., 1906.

Toall whom it may concern.-

I Be it known that I, GEORGE W. HAYDEN, a citizen of the UnitedStates,residing at Chicago, in the State of Illinois, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in ValveOperating Mechanism, of.which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to electrically oper-' ated means for opening andclosing valves, and is particularly designed and applied herein for usewith a gate valve. T e -ob'- jects of the invention are, to provideelectric means for opening large gate valves and means for automaticallybreaking the current when the valve in opening or closing has reachedthe limit of its movement; 'to provide a superior form of gearing andmounting for the valve; to provide a superior mounting of the valve uponits stem to insure its promp su erlor' controlling mechanism for gate vaves; to provide a certain'improved electrlc swltchlng mechanism, and togenerally improve the structure and operation of elec- T ese objects,andtrically operated valves other advanta eswhich will hereinafterapear, I attam y meansofihe construction Illustrated in preferred'forrnin the accomthe interior mechanism of t gure 1 is a slde elevatlon andpartial vertical section of a ate valve with my appara tus for electricly operating it attached thereto;

Fi e 2 is. a horizontal section taken on line 2) in Figure 3, and Fi re3 is a vertical section taken on line (3) of igure 2, showing e electriccontrol device marked 31 in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is another vertical section, taken pap ying drawings,wherein-:-

on line (4) of-Figure 2, showing in elevation the switch blocks andother parts;

Figure 5 is a vertical section taken in the plane of the valve stem, online (5) of Figure 2 a Figure 6 is a sectional view of the bearing .nutof the head on the central shaft in the casing,-taken on line (6) inFigure 5 v.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of one of the contact blocks for makinconnection with the moving blades on the s ting head in the ap aratus. referrin first to Figure 1, which shows the enera features ofthe entireap aratus, it 'Wlll be seen that I have rovided a valve casing 9 inwhich are fixe slanting valve stem. The

t starting and firm seating; to provide threads 21 which are engaged byraising or lowering 1 1. This valve is wedge-shaped and partly hollowand its to is closed by the screw plug 12 which gui es the valve stemand retains the enlarged end thereof 76. The stem 13 has a reduceddownward projection 14 which guides the provided in order to take up thethrust o the stem when the valve comes down to its seat and the movementof the stem has not yet ceased. In order that the stem may not rotate Ihave provided "in the top of the valve opening a pair of guide' grooves16 which engage plus 17 on the head 76 of the. valve valve casing at thetop has an enlarged opening to accommodate the valve when withdrawn fromits seat, extendin through the head 18 and the supplementa casing bonnet19 fastened thereon.

I Thetop of the bonnet 19 is provided with an opening for the guidanceof the valve stem extending through the stuffing box 20. The top of thevalve stem is rovided With y the rotary collar 22 and the top of the colar-has fixed to it by key 29 the gear 22 and also the hand wheel 23 formanually sired.

Fixed .upon the top of the casing 19 and laterally exending therefrom isa motor and its casing, 24, which may be of any preferred form, and isdesigned b means of its driving pinion 25 to turn the s aft of gearwheels 26 and 2 the shaft being mounted 1n the bracke 27; The bracket 27also serves as a support and guide for the revoluble collar 22 and ismade rigid with the bonnet 19 of.

the valve casing bracket 27% It will be understood from thisconstruction that when the motor revolves and turns the caring, revoution of the collar 22, and the revolution of the collar 22 will causethe valve stem 13, to raise or-lower, depending upon the direction ofthe revolution, and open or close the valve 11 therein, For the pu oseof stop ing the motor when the va ve has reac ed the limit of itsmovement either upward or downward, I have pxrovided an electric switchmechanism in t tached to the upright 27 and o erated by y means of theupright engagement of the worm 30 wit the gear seats 10 engaging thesides .of the gate valve spiral sprin 15 operating the valve t e screwwhen dethe gear wheel 22 will cause the e casing 31 at- 34, in Figure 2.I. The switch mechanism is connected with wires 72 which are connected Iwith the line or feed wires 73, through a suitthe lower part pf igure1,'and operating the motor 24. r In Figures 2 to '7 I have representedthe mechanism for shifting the current for the i purpose of starting andstopping the valve at t e two extremes of its motion. The cas' ing ofthe switch mechanism is composedof a cylinder 31 havin the two heads 31and 31 and it is provided with a projecting portion 32 to form a seatand attach the casing to the uprights 27 a as shown in Figure 1, thecasing 31 being placed so as to enga e gear 34 with worm 30. The shaft33 in co lar 31 by means of gear 34 turns gear 35 and its shaft 36passes through the center of the casing and its rear end is journaled inthe upright arm 37 of the base plate 38 therein. T is 'shaft isthreaded, and its rotation causes a lateral shiftin of the switchdevices shown in these figures. By reference particularly to Figures 4,5, and 7, it will be seen that on the base 38 and block 39 I haveprovided four terminal blocks 40, 41, 42, and 43, which receive theelectric wires 32 therein as shown in Figure 4, these bein subreferencedas 1, 2, 3, 4, to correspon with the Wires in Figure 1. These blocks areall alike except for the length of their blades and are shown inperspective in Figure 7. The base block is ooved out and has oneclamping jaw w 'ch is stationary, and one, 44,

which is 'ournaled upon the shaft 46, and is held in place by means ofthe coil sprin 47. Two of these blocks, 41 and 42, have s ort i'aws, 44,45, while the other blocksv have onger jaws, 44 and 45, as shown inFigure 4. These jaws clamp upon the moving con:

tact blades 48? and48 and 48 and 48 which are attached in pairs totraveling heads 50 and 49 respectively, whichare provided with internalscrew threads and enga e and travel along the revolving shaft 36. FromFigure 2 it will be seen that the blades 48 and 48 are hinged at the topto the blocks 49 and 50 and connected With-coil springs 51 carried bfrthe arms52 rojecting aterally from the b ocks. When lade 48 moves to theright in Figure 3 it is at first in contact with blades 44 and 45 ofblock 42 and when the valve has reached the limit of its motion theblade is released from blades 44 and 45 and the sp 51 makes a suddenwithdrawal to a iid sparking. The blade 48 is meanwhile always incontact with the blades of block 43. and thus the current is brokenbetween rupts flow through" 1 an terminal 32 and 32 (Figuref4), whichinfier- 2 0 wires 72- (w on the switch 74 is down) and stops the motorthe prompt starting of the valve off 24. The reverse motion when switch74 is up, and the heads 49 and 50 are traveling to the left, is thesame; the two heads and the two pairs of contact blocks are alike instructure and operation.

It is evident that any other device for stop ing the motor at the righttime could be use but I prefer the abovedescribed switch mechanismbecause the positions of traveling heads 49 and 50 can be adjusted onthe shaft 36with extremenicety tostop the motor 24 at the precise ointwhen the'valve is seated'or opened to t e right point.

The common difficulty of starting large valves from their seats Iovercome by the peculiar mounting of the valve stem. It will be seen inFigure 1 that the stem 13 may travel down somewhat after the valve 11 iswell seated by the pressure of spring 15. Now when the motor is startedthe head 76 strikes the plug 12 a sharp blow and insures its seat, afterwhich the movement is uniform.

The parts of the apparatus being as shown in Figure 1, with the valveupon its seat and the switch 74 in the position shown, to connect theterminals 1 and 2 of the wires 72 the operation will be as follows:

The bearing of the blocks 49 and 50 being insulated from the shaft 36 aswillzbe apparent from the section of Figure 6, there is no connectionbetween blocks 49 and 50, and as long as the switch 74 is down, themotor is not actuated. Butup'on throwing up the switch 74 as showncontact will be made between the terminals 1 and 2 of the Wires 72, andthe terminals 32 and 32 as shown in Figure 4 will be connected by meansof the block 49.

vThe circuit is made and the block. 49 will thereupon be actuated tomove. to the right by revolution of the shaft 36 driven directly by themotor; this contact will continue until the switch blade 48 breaks itscontact with the blades 44 and 45 of the block 42, meanwhile the blade48. remaining in contact' with the long blades 44 and 45 of the block43. When the current is thus broken otc'ourse the motor will stop.Theblock 50 finite meanwhile has been carried over to the extrenieright.Now if the switch 74 he lowered to the opposite'of the position shown inFigure 1, makmg contact with terminals 4 and 3, it will be seen that theblock 50 connecting the terminals 323 and 32" the motor will move in thereverse and lower thevalzve again. When the valve is carried downwardand pressed firmly upon its seat by the stem 13 operatin on spring 15,it will be seen that the arm 52 will draw the contact lade 48 out ofcontactwith the blades 44 and 45 of block41 and break contact andthemotion will then cease. It will be understood that in the start" of thevalve ordinarily the head 7 6 is somew 't depressed from contact withthe plug 12 and {Figure 3) pulling on the spring 51 when the motorstarts the first e fiect is to strike a sharp blow upon the plug 12 andrelease the valve from its seat 10.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what I claimas new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is the following:

1. A valve operating mechanism comprising in combination a gate valvehaving a chamber closed by a plug therein, a valve stem extendingthrough said plug into the chamber and provided upon its inner end witha head, said chamber being so formed as to allow of some free play ofthe head therein and a spring engaging the valve stem whereby the valveis pressed downward by the spring and may be struck a blow by the stem1n IlSlIlg.

2. A valve operating mechanism comprising in combination a gate valveand stem therefor, means for moving the same longitudinally and aresilient connection between said valve and stem whereby the stern maycontinue to descend for a short time after the valve is seated and thevalve may be struck a blow by the stem in rising.

3. A valve operating mechanism comprising in combination agate valve andstem therefor together with a spring and lost motion connection betweenthem, said parts being so constructed that the valve is seated byresilient force and unseated by a blowof the stem in rising. I

4. A valve operating mechanism comprlsing in combination a threadedvalve stem, a rotary member engaging said thread and being. providedwith a worm gear together with a valve switch mechanism operated by saidworm gear to shut off the current of the operating mechanism when thevalve is opened or closed.

5. A switch mechanism for electrically operated valves comprising twopairs ofstationary terminals having contact blades, two movable blocksoperated by the movement of the valve in opening or closing and means toactuate the valve and blocks, said blocks alternately engaging pairs ofthe terminal blocks to break the current when the valve is at eitherextreme end of its motion.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of thetwo subseribing witnesses.

GEORGE W. HAYDEN.

Witnesses:

PAUL CARPENTER, EDWARD C. BURNS

